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Your Cross-Cultural Journey
I. Introduction
You are on a journey. Coming to the United States may be considered the journey of a lifetime! You had your life to live in your home country and you also had your dreams of competing academically in a foreign setting. You had familiar surroundings that gave you security and comfort and yet you longed for new adventures and new experiences to stretch your wings and your imagination.
Your journey is different because of your background and experience. You have a point of reference or a “mental map” you call your culture. This “mental map” is an integrated set of beliefs, ideas, and products that shape the way you live, evaluate your life, and interpret the lives of others around you.
When your “mental map” meets the American “mental map” you find yourself in a state of adventure, confusion, frustration, and self-discovery. This new cross-cultural experience brings out questions like -- How do you go about your journey into the American way of doing things? What map should you follow to understand the language and thinking of your American professors, classmates, and friends?
Those who have studied cross-cultural travelers have discovered that they seem to follow a particular path or pattern. They have identified certain stages that travelers go through.
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